A traveler onboard a flight, who threatened the passengers and staff, has been taken into custody following the diversion of a flight from Sydney to Malaysia over New South Wales. The diversion was prompted by a "disruptive passenger onboard."
A Twitter user claiming to be a passenger aboard the aircraft posted that an individual was "threatening both staff and fellow travelers."
The passenger, holding a backpack, threatened to "blow the plane up".
“My name is Mohammed, slave of Allah,” the man was heard telling the staff. “Are you a slave of Allah? Are you? Say it! Say it! Are you a slave of Allah?”
The crew inspected the backpack and confirmed the absence of any explosives.
Plane returned after passenger outburst, incident impacted Sydney airport operations
As a result of this incident on Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 bound for Kuala Lumpur, over 30 domestic flights to and from Sydney Airport had to be canceled. Significant delays persisted after the occurrence on Monday afternoon.
The plane initially departed Sydney Airport at 1.40pm, but it subsequently returned and safely landed on the runway at 3.47pm. The aircraft remained stationary for an extended period, accompanied by emergency vehicles in close proximity.
Footage captured inside the aircraft seems to depict an individual, donning a backpack, issuing threats to both passengers and crew members. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have announced the detention of a 45-year-old man, with anticipations of filing charges later in the day on Monday.
194 passengers and five crew were onboard
The AFP, in a statement, said, "The AFP will not divulge operational matters, however, an emergency response plan was enacted and an evacuation was initiated once it was deemed safe for passengers and crew."
Meanwhile, the Malaysia Airlines spokesperson said, "In the interest of safety, the commander of the flight made a decision to return to Sydney."
"The flight carrying 194 passengers and five crew onboard landed safely at 3.47pm hours local time.
"The safety and comfort of our crew and passengers are of utmost importance to Malaysia Airlines."
According to Sydney Airport authorities, a total of 32 domestic flights were subjected to cancellation – evenly split between inbound and outbound flights. Additionally, several other domestic flights experienced delays of approximately 90 minutes.
“We’re responding to an emergency incident at Sydney International Airport, and an update will be provided [later]," the AFP said.
One of the passengers, who claimed to be onboard the flight, tweeted later, "#MH122 every one has been off the plane safely, and in a lounge. Police will interview everyone before further instructions."
